SITSA - Spokane IT SIG Alliance Presents: Fuzzy Systems Applications to Vision Systems and Games
Tuesday, May 9, 2006. Socializing: 5:30 pm; Presentation: 6:00 pm. Fuzzy Systems Applications to Vision Systems and Games, presented by Ian Beaver, EWU CS Grad Student. Beaver will give a preview of his upcoming presentation in Paris, France at this July's international conference in soft computing systems. His talk will first explain the difference between fuzzy and "crisp" logic, and then go on to profile research results in two very concrete practical applications. One is a vision system to detect events automatically in a remote classroom, such as a hand raised to ask a question. The other is the addition of emotions to typical characters in first person shooter type computer games, by the use of a fuzzy logic system.
SIRTI Board Room
Room 432, 4th floor
665 North Riverpoint Blvd.
Spokane, Washington 99202-1665.
Cookies will be provided.
Free Admission.

EFGN May Workshop, The Phoenix Project: Kick-Starting a Regional Renaissance
Wednesday, May 10, 2006, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Imagine a place filled with color and music, where you can watch potters and glassblowers and bread bakers at work, or buy fresh fruits and vegetables and flowers from the farmer who grew them. The Phoenix Project will kick-start Spokane's University District and accelerate the growth of startups throughout the region by combining in a single location all the elements needed for creativity to thrive. For more information, contact Chris Kelly: e-mail: info@efgn.org, phone: (509) 483-2320
SIRTI 4th Floor Boardroom
665 N. Riverpoint Blvd.
Spokane, WA
FREE!

Spokane .NET Users Group (SNUG) Presents: Create Great .NET User Interfaces
Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 6:00 pm, Presented by Phil Weber. Even the most beautifully coded application will flop if people hate to use it. And they will, if its user interface is not designed with their goals in mind. What makes a great UI? How can you apply the principles that work so well for the guts of an application to its front end? We'll examine specific techniques (with code!) that you can use immediately to reduce complexity for your users and improve your .NET presentation layer's efficiency and maintainability. Meetings are held in room 301 of the Herak building on the Gonzaga University campus. Parking is available on Sharp and the surrounding neighborhood, but on campus parking requires a pass.

How to Really Start Your Own Business Workshop
Thursday, May 11, 2006 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Local experts and volunteers from SCORE, Counselors to America's Small Business, will conduct a three-hour workshop for prospective small business owners. Learn how to start your business with the right legal, tax, insurance, and accounting advice. Discover how to start your planning, financing, and marketing programs. This workshop is a must for those planning to start a business or who are just underway and need help building a better business.

This SCORE workshop will be held at the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, 9507 E. Sprague Ave, Spokane Valley, Washington. Sign-in begins at 8:00 a.m. Advance registration is requested. Call the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce at (509) 924-4994 to register. Workshop cost: $25.00 per person with advance registration; $35.00 at the door. Get your registration in early, as class size is limited to 25 people.

SIRTI Announces Management Team and Completes Organizational Alignment
The Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute (SIRTI) announced the selection of area technology entrepreneurial veterans John Overby, Linda Hemingway and Tim Williams to round out the management team led by Executive Director, Kim Zentz.

John Overby, Director of Client Services. A seasoned entrepreneur, John Overby joined the SIRTI team in August of 2005, to lead and more fully develop SIRTI’s technology incubation program. Mr. Overby will now assume the role of Director of Client Services. Prior to SIRTI, Mr. Overby served as regional director of the North Idaho Small Business Development Center. Previously, he has been the co-founder and director of business development of Spokane-based World Wide Packets and co-founder, CEO and director of Advanced Hardware Architecture (now Comtech AHA), a SIRTI alumnus in Moscow, Idaho.

Linda Hemingway, Director of Market Development and Communications. A veteran of a number of Spokane’s technology companies, Linda Hemingway has joined the SIRTI team as Director of Market Development and Communications. Ms Hemingway has a background in strategic marketing, marketing communications and sales. Hemingway held positions as LineSoft’s vice president of marketing and business development and director of sales and marketing then joined the start-up company, Toolbuilders, where she served as vice president of marketing and sales.

Tim Williams, Director of Administration and Finance. Possessing an extensive background in financial planning and operational management with a Fortune 100 technology company, Tim Williams has joined SIRTI as Director of Administration and Finance. Mr. Williams has held positions as senior marketing engineer, controller and finance manager while working at Agilent Technologies. At Hewlett-Packard, Williams previously held positions including finance manager, information systems manager and financial analyst.

VPnet Elects New Directors and Officers
The VPnet Board of Trustees nominated and elected new directors to the VPnet Board of Directors during the Trustees meeting on February 9, 2006. The following individuals were nominated and elected to the VPnet Board of Directors:
Mary Doyle, Vice President, Information Systems and Vice Provost, Washington State University, as continuing member of VPnet Board of Directors.
Dick Hol, Director of Information systems, Community Colleges of Spokane, as continuing member of VPnet Board of Directors.
Ken Pecka, Director of Instructional Resources, Whitworth College.
Harvey Hughett, Executive Director, Information Technology Services/CIO, University of Idaho.
Octavio J. Morales, Partner, Liberty Lake Internet Exchange.
Randy Wittwer, Director of Technology, Mead School District.
Peter J. Mowery, Director of Commercialization Spokane Intercollegiate Research & Technology Institute (SIRTI).

Additionally, the Technology Committee has a new chair. Octavio Morales, LLIX has graciously agreed to fulfill this role throughout 2006.

OneEighty Networks Announces Voice Delivery Strategy with the Acquisition of Fisher Tele-Com.
OneEighty Networks (OEN) (www.go180.net), a Pacific Northwest facilities-based, Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC), today announces its Voice Delivery Services and Managed Services plans. In mid-January of this year, OEN took delivery of its new Voice Switch from Tekelec, a global leader in Packet switching (www.tekelec.com). Additionally, OneEighty also announces the acquisition of Fisher Tele-Com (FTC) (www.fishertel.com), a Spokane-based telecommunications company which specializes in the sales, installation and support of Voice and Data Cabling, Telephone, PBX and Voice Mail Systems in the Inland Northwest. The announcement of Fisher Tele-Com comes in concert with the formation of OneEighty Systems, a wholly-owned division of OneEighty Networks that will provide Voice and Data Networking as well as Managed Services for business customers in those markets in which OEN operates as a CLEC. Today those markets include Spokane, Post Falls, Coeur d’Alene, Walla Walla, TriCities and Pendleton.